


Unforeseen

by Chie (Chierafied)



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabble Collection, Drabble Sequence, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, One Night Stands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-12
Updated: 2012-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-10 14:45:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 6,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3294266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chierafied/pseuds/Chie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She never really expected to gain anything from a simple request born out of fear, from a single moment of selfishness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Afraid

Kagome had not wanted to die. Not yet. Not so young and inexperienced.

Fear.

That was what all it boiled down to in the end.

* * *

 

Their company – Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Kirara and  _him_  – had been close on Naraku’s tail for weeks. Any day now, they would finally catch up with their nemesis. Any day now, they would finally take up their arms and unleash their wrath.

And she was afraid. The fear was ever present, it weighed on her shoulders, it whispered in her ear, it twisted her guts and squeezed at her heart.

The fear made even breathing painful to her, and she could not bear it.

Any day now… she could die.

She was still so young! There was still so much for her to see, to do! There was still so much life to live, hers had barely begun! It was so unfair that the fates had dragged her into this mess, this noble quest that would soon reach its very epitome in the form of the final battle. A battle fought to death.

And she was the weakest link. Her holy powers were formidable, but raw, untrained. In a battle she hardly ever was of any use.She was not a warrior, no matter how much she tried.

She was just a teenage girl trapped between two time lines, confused and afraid. 


	2. Unloved

She could be dead tomorrow, but she did not want to die alone and unloved.

She wanted to know it at least once, the intimacy her friends had whispered about with knowing smiles on their faces. She wanted that one experience to help her step into her womanhood, like a rite of passage.

It was a selfish wish, and one for which she required assistance. The question was, who could she ask to give that to her?

Of course, Inuyasha seemed like the obvious choice, but Kagome could not do that. She had once loved him, he had always loved Kikyo. It was too messed up, their entire relationship; they were more than friends but less than lovers. There was really no accurate label to describe what they were to one another, and her intuition told her that if she voiced her request to him it would just make everything too complicated.

And she did not want to complicate things right on the eve of their battle.

She had next considered Kouga, but knew right away that he would be no good either. Asking him would make a mess of everything. He wouldn’t understand the selfishness behind her wish, and in the end she would only give him false hope.

Miroku was completely out of the question; Kagome could never do that to Sango.

And so, there was only one person left.

_Him_.


	3. Request

She did not love him, but it was not about love. She knew it, and she was sure he would understand that as well. He would not get attached, he would not expect anything more from her. Odd, how his cold and distant personality made him seem so reliable.

Well, it was a special circumstance after all.

That night, she had followed him out of the camp. She had asked him then, finally voicing the wish that had been burning her soul for days. He had stared at her long, no emotion flickering in the golden depths of his eyes when she had nervously told him about her fears.

Her request was selfish and she knew it. She had fully expected him to refuse her.

But he had not.

She did not know why. She never asked. He must have had his reasons, but they didn’t matter to her.

It was enough that he had agreed.


	4. Selfishness

He had not been gentle with her – not that she had expected him to. He had been too completely caught in the heat of the moment. For her it had been the fear and desperation. Her fingers had trembled when she had reached for him. His hands had explored her, caressing her in places no one ever had before. It had made her shiver, the way the tip of his claws occasionally brushed her skin. His touches had caused the pit of her stomach to tingle. The sensation had been weird but not entirely unpleasant.

He had made her feel these things and for that she was glad. The experience had not been quite what she had expected, but it had been good.

She was grateful to him and she had told him that, once she had shyly put on her clothes afterwards.

He had not replied, but he didn’t really have to.

His posture had been so relaxed, and his eyes had glowed.

She could not name the emotion she saw in them, but she guessed he had needed it too, as much as she had.

A way to lose oneself for a moment, before reaching the crossroads of one’s life.

Whatever the result of the battle would be, it would alter all of their lives for good… or the bad.

And even a warrior like him felt the need to prepare himself for that.

She allowed him that. After all, he had allowed her this night.

At least with this, she would face her death as a woman.


	5. Battle To Death

Two days after that night, their group finally caught up with Naraku.

None of them died that day.

Well, none of the good guys at least. Naraku had not fared nearly as well in the battle as their alliance had. It had been almost disappointing, how easily the spider hanyou had fallen.

Really, what had all the fuss been about?

Their alliance had been undefeatable, and how could it not have been, now when the sons of the great dog general had finally united their strength.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had been superb that day. Nothing had stood in their way. Sango and Miroku had done really well too, and she… Well, she hadn’t been completely useless either. Her arrow had in fact given the inu brothers the opening they needed.

Really, it had been so very easy.

Naraku was dead and defeated. The Shikon jewel finally completed and purified.

They had all come out of it alive.

And she…

She had been stolen away by the currents of time before their very eyes.


	6. Broken

Kagome had clawed at the dry sand at the bottom of the well for what felt like eternity. That had not been how she had wanted to end it. This was not the way it was supposed to go. She had not wanted to come back yet.

There were so many things she still wanted to do. So many things she needed to say. To Kaede and Kouga. To Miroku and Sango. To Shippo and Inuyasha. To  _him_.

But the gods did not hear her, as her salty tears were absorbed by the sand she was still grasping.

It flowed through her fingers, just like the time had.

The well did not allow her through anymore.

Its magic was dead and broken, just like she was.

Jiichan had eventually found her there, collapsed at the bottom of the ancient dried up well, sobbing uncontrollably while feebly trying to dig her way through five centuries. He had escorted her out and when they walked down the steps to the shrine yard, the door of the well house had banged shut, never to be opened again.


	7. Lost

It had been difficult to ease back into the daily routines of the 21st century. She had spent more of the last few years in the past than she had at home. Now, being in her own time only felt like half-life. So much was missing. So  _many_  were missing. It was ridiculous to sit in a classroom and battle exams, when she had once been travelling through the feudal Japan battling demons.

She felt out of place in her own time. She was lost in her own home.

How could you go on with your life after losing so much?

No matter how hard it would be to carry on, Kagome knew she had no other choice but to try. She decided she had to find a new meaning for herself, for her life.

 


	8. Meaning

In the end it had been surprisingly easy, finding a meaning.

Unexpected, unintended, but there it was.

The two thin lines staring at her on the tiny screen.

She could not believe it at first. She had sat there, frozen, staring at those little lines. Slowly it had sunk in. The explanation for the queasiness that had been plaguing her as of late. The unseen consequences catching up with her. She had never regretted the night she had made her request, the way he had made her feel that night…

But now, in that always so annoyingly accurate hindsight, she wondered if she had been too reckless after all. She had not wanted complicated or messy, and  _this_  was nothing but.

Oh god. What would she do?

There was a new meaning to her life.

_A new life_. Inside of her, growing. 


	9. Change

It took her a week to make some sense of it, to accept it. She would not terminate it; she could never do such a thing.

Yet, it terrified her. Once again, she felt the grip of fear, tightening around her throat. Once again, her life as she knew it was over. This would change  _everything_.

But maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. Her life had felt so empty and useless after the well had closed down. She had dutifully gone to school, but she just felt out of place there, watching her classmates continue their lives while she stood still, frozen to the same spot unable to go on. When she was not at school, she was at home, shut inside her room, moping, hiding the world behind a closed door. The world that didn’t feel quite right. The world that had stopped moving, the world that didn’t have her friends in it.

She would have to stop hiding now. She would have to start living again.

There was a spark of life in the emptiness inside of her. That rooted her.


	10. Hope

Two weeks after learning about the unexpected consequence, Kagome told her mother. Mrs. Higurashi was shocked to hear the news, and worried for her daughter. Luckily, Kagome would still be able to graduate; her graduation was less than three months away. Any plans after graduation though… They were out of the window. Still, that was not really news anymore. Her grades had not been anything great, the cost she had had to pay for her double life.

After the situation had slowly sunk in, Mrs. Higurashi promised her daughter her full support. She told her daughter that she could stay home, as long as she needed. Mrs. Higurashi would help out whenever she needed help, and Kagome could help out at the shrine and around the house whenever she had the time.

It was not the end of the world; it was the start of a new life.

They could make it work.


	11. Chance

In the heat of the summer, five years after the well had closed, it happened. Kagome had always been aware of the possibility but she had not truly believed it, not until it actually happened, quite by an accident.

She had gone to the nearby supermarket to do her grocery shopping, and was almost back at home when she felt it. On the busy street, at the feet of the long stairs leading to the Higurashi shrine, she suddenly halted. Her senses had long lain dormant but they instantly awakened when an ancient power brimmed in the air. The demonic energy pushed against her back, and she slowly turned around.

He didn’t look at all like himself with fully human features and short black hair, but she recognised him right away. 


	12. Reunion

Sesshoumaru had caught a familiar scent in the crowd and before he even realised, he was following after it. It had changed slightly since the last time, it was fuller, more mature. The old innocence he remembered was gone – the innocence he had taken on that night, centuries ago.

She had changed too. She was a little older, no longer the scared girl who had sought him out back then. She was a woman now, and she seemed calm. It looked like she had finally managed to control her fears.

That was good. The miko had always been an emotional kaleidoscope.

“Kagome.”

Her eyes widened a little at this greeting. He didn’t blame her, it was the first time her name had ever left his lips.

“Sesshoumaru.” she acknowledged him in return. The reality of the situation was settling in and suddenly she looked a bit nervous. Her hands fidgeted somewhat as they held onto the grocery bags.

“You disappeared.”

She looked surprised that he was actually continuing the exchange.

“I was pulled back. Here, to my own time. It’s been five years since the well closed.”

“You look well.”

“Thank you. So do you. I guess you demons never really age, huh?”

“Time does leave its marks on everyone – even if they were not visible to the eye.”


	13. Mei

Kagome did not pay much attention to Sesshoumaru’s cryptic words. She chewed on her bottom lip and tried to get her nervousness under control. After all, there was a rather delicate piece of information she needed to tell the daiyoukai who had suddenly reappeared into her life. Even though she did not know if the daiyoukai would want to enter her life for real, or if this would always remain as a single chance encounter, he had the right to know.

“Listen, Sesshoumaru… We need to talk.” she breathed out at last.

“Agreed. So much has happened in the past five centuries.”

“More than you know,” Kagome muttered under her breath.

He was just about to ask her what she meant by that, when a child came bounding down the shrine steps.

“Mama! Did you buy Mei’s candy?”

The little girl, four or five years old, stopped before them. Her hair was black and she was dressed in a soft yellow summer dress and a matching sun hat, the colour of her dress bringing out the gold of her eyes.


	14. Implications

Sesshoumaru stared at the little girl, stunned. The information his acute senses brought to him about the child in question had gigantic implications.

Kagome bit her lip and tried not to blush or look like she had just been caught red handed. Glancing Sesshoumaru hastily out of the corner of her eye to gauge his reaction, she crouched to the child’s level

“Mei, how many times have I told you not to leave the yard?” Kagome chastised the girl gently.

“But Mei could see mama from up there,” the child protested, pointing to the top of the stairs.

“Then you should have waited for mommy patiently.”

“Sorry mama.”

While this conversation was taking place, Sesshoumaru had not moved at all. He had found himself unable to do anything but staring at those two, the obvious mother and child. He blinked once, twice, thrice.

His throat suddenly felt oddly dry. He tried clearing it.

The miko’s blue eyes turned to him. The look in them confirmed his suspicions.

“Like I said, we need to talk,” she told him, the tone of her voice slightly apologetic.

“I can see that,” was all he managed to reply.


	15. Discussion

A moment later, Sesshoumaru sat in the Higurashi kitchen as Kagome poured him a cup of green tea. She sat down opposite to him. He was looking through the open kitchen door into the living room, where the little girl was loudly giggling at her favourite anime.

“I was so afraid of dying that I never stopped to think of consequences.” Kagome said softly, drawing the inudaiyoukai’s attention back to her.

“This Sesshoumaru never foresaw this possibility either.”

There had not been many accounts of youkai coupling with miko, but some of such matings had been documented. And a common problem seemed to reoccur in all of such unions, infertility.  Thus, Sesshoumaru had never even considered that his one-time tryst with the Shikon miko would actually result in a pup. It felt hard to believe that he had a daughter, even when the hanyou child was sitting right before his eyes.

 “Well as unforeseen as it was, in the end I think it was a blessing in disguise. I felt lost when the well closed, I felt so out of touch with my own life. She became my reason for living,” Kagome said with a small smile.

She sipped her tea while Sesshoumaru thought over her words.

Yes, he could understand that. He had once experienced something similar himself. A flash from centuries ago, of a little girl with a big, toothy smile of joy, briefly came to his mind.

Rin. It had been so long since he had last remembered her.

Too long.

“Has there been… problems?” Sesshoumaru asked hesitantly.

“It has been difficult at times,” Kagome admitted. “The hanyou blood is unstable and she has not had a seal of any kind like Inuyasha had Tessaiga… But so far, we’ve managed. I’ve been able to soothe her with my powers.”

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly.

“I will provide you with a seal,” he promised.

“Thank you.”

“It is the least I can do.”

 


	16. Question

For a moment they both sat in silence in the kitchen. She was sipping her tea while stealing glances of him, and he was peering into the living room, at the little animated girl.

“She has asked after you sometimes,” Kagome spoke then, ending the silence. “Asking why she didn’t have a father like everyone else, asking where you were.”

“What did you tell her?” Sesshoumaru asked, his throat tightening.

“The truth,” Kagome replied simply. “That I don’t know where you are.”

Their eyes locked and she continued.

“But I told her that you might come to see her one day.”

Sesshoumaru nodded again while his mind processed all this information.

Kagome’s fingers fidgeted, wrapped around her teacup.

“Would you like to meet her?” Her tone of voice was timid, hesitant. She was biting her lip.

He could feel her nervousness as clearly as he could sense the actual question underlying the words she had spoken.

_Would you welcome her into your life?_

“I would like that,” he replied with firm decisiveness.

A smile graced her lips, and for a brief moment she once again looked like the girl he remembered, the Shikon miko. 


	17. Reminiscence

Sesshoumaru had been intrigued by her ever since he had grudgingly joined with his half-brothers’ pack. He had been shocked when he had realised that the pack didn’t actually belong to Inuyasha at all – it belonged to the miko. She was the one who provided for them, preparing breakfast and dinner. She was the one to whom everyone came when they had a problem of any sort. She was their confidant. She was the one they all protected. It was ridiculous, yet so curious that this young, sweet-natured girl was the alpha.

Of course he had soon learned about her other side as well, the side well-fitting with her status. He did not know what Inuyasha had done – or had  _not_  done – but he would forever remember the aftermath. The miko’s furious voice had been so piercing Sesshoumaru had thought his ears would ring for days.

The more he had studied her, the more he had inadvertently come to respect her.  And after that night when she had come to him, willingly, he had even briefly considered courting her. But then they had found Naraku, and after the battle, the shikon jewel had disappeared – with its guardian miko in its tow.

He never thought he would see her again – let alone see her again and learn that he had sired a daughter with her.


	18. Promise

“I’m glad,” the miko said softly, the smile still lighting her features. “Mei will be delighted to see you.”

“I will appreciate meeting her as well,” Sesshoumaru replied.

The miko bit her lip.

“If it’s alright with you, could we arrange the meeting to some other time?”

“Why cannot you introduce me to her now?” the demon inquired.

“I  _could_ … But I don’t want to spring this all on her so suddenly. I’d rather tell her about your meeting beforehand, so she knows what is going to happen. Could you come over later, maybe tomorrow or the day after?”

“That sounds agreeable.”

“Oh and please… come without this human disguise.”

“Is there something wrong with my disguise?” Sesshoumaru asked, raising his brow.

Kagome chuckled.

“You look great,” she assured him, “but she needs to get to know the real you.”

“I understand.”

He stood up. She followed him, and walked him to the door.

“I’ll see you,” she said softly.

He nodded, and walked away, his mind still whirling about all that he had learned this day.


	19. Anticipation

The next day, around 11 AM, Mei was perched on the back rest of the sofa, staring out of the window. Her furry black triangular puppy ears were twitching, constantly tuned to the smallest of sounds in an impatient anticipation.

“Mei, sit down properly,” Kagome told her daughter gently.

She had told the four-year-old about Sesshoumaru that morning at breakfast, and the child hadn’t been sitting still ever since. Mama Higurashi and Jiichan had left early, to visit relatives and to be out of the way. Souta had been on a school trip since early yesterday morning, so the house was all theirs. Kagome was feeling somewhat nervous. She knew Mei was anxious to meet her father, and she knew that Sesshoumaru – despite his image of a ruthless demon lord – possessed surprisingly many fatherly qualities. Kagome well remembered the way he had cared for Rin, and she felt glad that Sesshoumaru was willing to meet Mei and be part of her life. Still, she knew it was a lot to take in. She and Sesshoumaru had a lot to talk about to catch up, even without Mei in the picture. When she had learned she was pregnant, it had taken her few weeks until she had finally accepted it. But for Sesshoumaru it must have been even bigger shock as they had not met for 500 years.

“Mama, when is daddy coming?” Mei asked from her seat on the sofa, barely able to control her excitement.

“I don’t know, Mei. Sometime today or maybe tomorrow.”

The little girl pouted, but stayed put.

Kagome knew she needed to distract her anxious little girl somehow. And she knew just the thing.

“Let’s watch Totoro.”

Mei’s golden eyes grew alight and she cried out in delight.

After the movie, Mei was sitting in Kagome’s lap as she read her daughter her favourite book. They were almost half-way through, when the doorbell rang.

 


	20. Meeting

As soon as the doorbell sounded through the house, Mei sprang up from her mother’s lap. Barely able to contain her excitement, she ran to answer the door. Kagome stayed back, her nervousness rising slightly. She hadn’t actually expected Sesshoumaru to come this early. She had thought he would need more time to process all the unexpected information.

Mei opened the door and stared up at the tall, silver-haired daiyoukai.

“Hello, Mei,” the male greeted her in a deep soft voice. “May I come in?”

Suddenly feeling shy, the girl took several steps back and nodded timidly.

Sesshoumaru flashed her a brief smile and stepped in, closing the door behind him. 


	21. Greeting

Standing in the small entrance hall, Sesshoumaru’s eyes sought out the miko, who was in the living room and had just stood up.

“Kagome,” he greeted her warmly.

“Hello, Sesshoumaru,” she replied, walking over to him.

He hugged her gently. She gasped softly, surprised at the sudden tenderness. It was such a sweet and unexpected gesture.

His purpose was partly to show his daughter that he had a good relationship with her mother. But that was not all. Ever since their night together, centuries ago, there had been the nagging desire at the back of his mind, to touch her, to feel her close. His body still remembered her soft curves, her small, lithe figure pressed against him.

As he pulled away from the embrace, her surprised sapphire eyes locked with his, hesitant and searching.

What she saw in those golden depths made her heart skip a beat.


	22. Imprinting

Kagome smiled briefly to Sesshoumaru. Then she turned around, to look at her daughter. The child was looking up to her, as if waiting for her mother to tell her what to do.

“Mei, this is your father, Sesshoumaru. Come say hi.”

The child was still shy and hesitant, but she did come over, her hanyou ears twitching and her little nose curiously sniffing the scent of her father.

She stopped in front of her parents. When Sesshoumaru crouched down to her level, her tiny claws wrapped around the leg of Kagome’s jeans for support. He bent over and sniffed the top of her head, storing his daughter’s scent into memory forever. She mimicked his actions, taking a careful sniff. He smiled at Mei lightly and petted her hair. She looked at him, her wide golden eyes just staring at him.

“I’ll make you a cup of tea,” Kagome said and walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on. 


	23. Bonding

While Kagome was in setting everything ready in the kitchen, Mei still shyly stared at her father. Sesshoumaru didn’t move or speak, waiting patiently for his daughter to take the initiative. The child was hesitant and timid for another 15 minutes, maybe, but soon enough she was babbling excitedly, taking Sesshoumaru’s hand and pulling him along to show him her room.

When the table was set and the water boiling, Kagome followed them upstairs and stood in the doorway, watching how Mei paraded all her favourite toys and dresses and whatnot to Sesshoumaru in quick succession, all the while chattering animatedly. Sesshoumaru was great with her, patient and attentive and, feeling relieved and reassured, Kagome went back downstairs to the kitchen, giving the father and the daughter privacy for their bonding time.

Half an hour later, she went to invite the two for tea.

 Mei was bursting with questions, and didn’t hesitate in the slightest in asking them. She was in fact babbling so much she barely touched her juice and cookies.

But Sesshoumaru was absolutely wonderful with her, answering her queries tirelessly.


	24. Musings

After tea, the all three of them went back to Mei’s room to play with her. Kagome hung back sitting on Mei’s bed. It was so fascinating to see the two of them together, interacting like that. She had never even dared to hope to see Sesshoumaru, playing together with their daughter.

She had not even believed she would meet him again, even though she had always felt that out of all the people she had met in the past, Sesshoumaru would be the one least touched by time. Sure, there had been times when she had toyed with the idea of one day meeting Sesshoumaru again, but those had been passing fancies. It had shocked her so much when she had just stumbled on him like that.

The years had changed him, she could see it now. It showed in the ease he had accepted everything, the news, her, their daughter. Sesshoumaru had never been uncaring or unreasonable, but she could sense that the passed centuries had made him more accommodating, more flexible. She had to admit she liked the change.

Eventually, the time came for Sesshoumaru to leave. Mei pouted and clung to him, weaseling out endless promises of coming back to see her again soon. Kagome couldn’t help but to smile at seeing her daughter so happy. She seemed to be very taken in with Sesshoumaru, and Kagome was glad everything had worked out so well.

Who would have ever guessed?


	25. Goodbyes

Kagome was still lost in her thoughts. Glancing at Sesshoumaru, who was pulling on his coat, she had to admit to herself that she, too, would be delighted to see him again another time. He was a link to the world she had lost, to the life she had been wrenched away from. Besides, as odd as it sounded, he had a special place in her heart. He had spent that night with her, indulged her selfishness and dissipated her fears.  Her gratefulness towards him had not dimmed a bit, even after all these years.

Suddenly, she started out of her musings, realising that the daiyoukai’s golden eyes were trained on her. The look in his eyes made it impossible for her to turn away, so she met his gaze, trying to quell the nervousness that had suddenly raised its head. And then, Sesshoumaru moved. He walked to her and gently wrapped his arms around her. He bent close to her, his soft deep voice sounding right by her ear with a quiet “Thank you.”

To say Kagome was surprised was a crude understatement. And when Sesshoumaru placed a single small kiss on the top of her head, something warm and jittery fluttered at the pit of her stomach. She could but stare at the male in awe. He smirked at her expression and turned to leave.

“It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Mei,” he told his daughter, who hugged him tightly in return.

“Goodbye.”

 


	26. Contemplation

Sesshoumaru had a lot to reflect and ponder upon after visiting the miko and their offspring. He was proud of his daughter; she was an energetic and sweet little girl and reminded him quite a deal of Rin. The fact that Mei was a hanyou was of no consequence to him, the glorious era of the youkai had long passed. There were so few of them left and many of the families that had once been illustrious had become mixed when the youkai had turned to seeking human mates in order to keep their line from going extinct.

He was proud of the priestess as well. She had fared well under the unexpected circumstances, and had reared their daughter up well. It was obvious that Kagome had been giving their daughter both the love and the discipline that she needed to grow to be a decent hanyou.

Of course, he had always known the miko would make a great mother someday, seeing the way she had always interacted with the fox kit and Rin.


	27. Easing To Change

It had been surprisingly easy to grow accustomed to the idea of him having a daughter – after he had managed to push past the initial shock, that is. After he had got to spend time with his child, he felt somewhat unsettled that he had remained ignorant of her existence for so long. He wished he could have found the miko earlier, so that he would have been able to help her in the mess he had been partial in creating, so that he could have been there for their daughter. But he had never known from what era exactly the Shikon miko had been from.

There had been times when Sesshoumaru had thought of tracking her down, but he had always refrained from doing so. There had never been any explicit promise between them, and he was not certain if she welcomed him into his life, now that everything that had once brought them together was long gone and forgotten, washed away by the tides of time. 


	28. Losses

He had lost so much during the five long centuries. He has lost his lands, his place in the world. But nothing had been as bad as losing Rin had been. In the end there was nothing left, no one left, but him. The solitude had weighed on him, warring against every instinct of his, his kind felt out of place when they were alone. Without a pack.

And he had been alone for a long time. He had almost grown used to it. And yet he had known that he might still find the miko one day. But after losing so much, he had grown guarded. It would be too big a blow to him to have the hope – the possibility of ending his lonely, packless existence, only to have the miko reject him.

That was really why he had not even tried to seek the priestess, even though a part of him had wanted to do just that, desperately so. But when he had sensed her so close, he could not stop himself. He had met her, and found more than he had ever dared to expect.

After so many years, decades, centuries of solitude, he could have a pack again. A pack consisting of his own daughter and the Shikon priestess. He would not let this chance slip through his claws. He would not be alone again, and he knew just how to ensure that.


	29. Date

A week and half later, Kagome was in the kitchen, packing a bentou box while glancing at her excited daughter. She could not keep the smile off her face, since she had told Mei that Sesshoumaru had called and wanted to take her to a zoo, it was all the little girl had talked about for days. And now the day was finally here, and Sesshoumaru would be there any minute, picking up their daughter to take her out. Kagome was glad and grateful that the inudaiyoukai had been so accepting, so willing to welcome Mei into his life.

The doorbell rang then, and Mei ran to open it.

“Daddy!”

“Hello, Mei,” Sesshoumaru greeted the girl, petting her hair. The girl looked at him, her smile wide and bright.

Kagome appeared in the kitchen doorway, holding a box wrapped up in a cloth.

“Hello, Kagome,” the demon greeted her.

“Hey, Sesshoumaru,” she replied, fidgeting slightly with the cloth of the bentou box. It still felt weird to hear him speak her name.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked his daughter.

“Yea!” Mei piped up, clinging with both of her hands onto Sesshoumaru’s.

“I packed lunch,” Kagome said, walking over to the two to hand over the bentou.

“Thank you,” Sesshoumaru said sincerely, surprised at the miko’s thoughtfulness. Then, surprising the miko, he draped his arm around her shoulders. “Let us go then.”

 


	30. Family

“Huh?” Kagome blurted less than intelligently. She blinked up to Sesshoumaru, certain that she had misheard. He couldn’t possible suggest that she…

“Have I been unclear?” the daiyoukai asked, cutting through her confused thoughts, his eyebrow arched curiously. “I was under the impression I had invited the two of you out today.”

“Let’s go already!” Mei ushered impatiently, tugging Sesshoumaru’s hand.

“The  _two_  of us?” Kagome stammered, feeling more than a little bewildered. “I thought you wanted to just take Mei…”

“I want to spend time with my family,” Sesshoumaru spoke emphatically. “And that includes you as well, Kagome.”

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She felt both touched at Sesshoumaru’s sentiment and utterly puzzled by it. Really, she was not actually  _anything_  to him. She had given birth to their daughter, but it wasn’t like they had planned to have a child in the first place. She didn’t understand what exactly made her a part of his family as well.

Maybe it was some dog demon pack instinct thing?

Well, whatever it was, she shrugged it off. She had time to be confused later. Now was not the time for self-reflection and sorting out her emotions.

“Don’t forget your sun hat, Mei,” she told her daughter firmly.

“Yes, mama!”

“I can teach her a sealing spell, similar to mine, once she is older and can manage the necessary concentration,” Sesshoumaru offered as they stepped out of the door.

“That would be helpful,” Kagome said, feeling relieved. They had managed to hide Mei’s hanyou ears so far, but she had really fretted how to keep them hidden as she grew older. The school dress codes did not exactly allow hats.


	31. The Zoo

The zoo trip had been a total success. Little Mei had been so excited about seeing all the animals that she had ran and squealed herself to exhaustion. She was in fact fast asleep now, curled up on a park bench, her head resting in her mother’s lap. Few grains of rice were sticking to her cheek as evidence that she had barely managed to finish her lunch. Her parents were still eating, smiling slightly at their tired little girl.

“It has been quite a while since she’s worked herself up to this degree.” Kagome said softly. “She couldn’t even stay awake until dessert.”

“Hnn.” was Sesshoumaru’s reply. “At least she seemed to enjoy herself.”

“Oh yes, very much so,” Kagome replied with a soft chuckle. “Thank you for this, Sesshoumaru.”

The daiyoukai nodded, and proceeded to take a nip out of the homemade onigiri.


	32. Proposal

“There is a matter I would like to discuss with you,” he said after they had finished their eating and packed the bentou away.  His expression had grown serious and it matched the tone of his voice.

“What about?” Kagome asked, unsure of what to expect.

“Kagome, would you allow me the honour of courting you?”

Whatever she had been expecting, this wasn’t it. Her eyes widened as she tried to wrap her mind around his words. Had Sesshoumaru just actually asked her to…?

“Court me?” she parroted, voicing her confusion. “As in…?”

“As in should I win your favour and should you accept my suit, I would take you as my mate.”

Kagome’s mind stopped working for a few seconds just then. However, the elation died a quick death as the reality settled in. She shifted uncomfortably and pursed her lips.

“It’s the twenty-first century, Sesshoumaru. You don’t have to take responsibility and mate me just because we had a child together,” she told him, the disappointment making her sick to her stomach.


	33. Persuasion

He growled softly, the sound drawing her eyes to him.

“You believe I would be willing to tie myself to you forever merely out of duty?” his golden eyes flashed. “Should I feel amused or insulted at that?”

Kagome could not reply, her heart had chosen that precise moment to skip a beat.

“It would be a lie to say Mei’s existence hadn’t influenced this decision. But the pup is not the reason I have proposed my suit to you, Kagome.  _You_  are.”

His clawed hand brushed against her neck then, ghosting over her cheek before it travelled to tangle with her ebony locks. Before she could even gasp in surprise, he had pressed his lips against hers. Gently, patiently, coaxingly his mouth moved against hers until she got over her stunned state enough to respond. He showed his approval by playfully nipping at her lower lip, using her following reaction to his advantage. Slowly his tongue slipped in to taste her. He swallowed the moan his ministrations drew from her, savouring it. Inserting his dominance, he let his tongue explore her mouth in passionate persuasion. When he pulled back from her, the priestess was flustered and breathless.


	34. Answer

“Say that you will accept my suit, Kagome,” he impressed upon her, his gaze intense as it looked straight into her blue eyes.

“I accept,” she whispered, still wondering if this was happening for real.

He growled again, a pleased rumble, and she knew without a doubt that this was, in fact, all real.

When he leaned in for a second kiss, she welcomed it with a smile.

The little hanyou child, a living testament of the night that had brought them together, slept on peacefully, the wide childish grin of blissful happiness brightening her features even in her slumber.

* * *

**The End**


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